The present invention concerns a separation structure for cleaning an air flow, a cleaning module for cleaning an air flow, a set and an insertion frame.
The modular arrangement of filter modules of cardboard is known from WO 03/084638 A2. The modules serve for the separation of paint particles or paint mist (overspray) from an exhaust air from a spray booth in which, for example, parts for a motor vehicle are being painted.
It is noteworthy in that respect that a very large number of various paints is used. As a result, the exhaust air from spray booths contains widely varying kinds of paint impurities which, for example, are distinguished by particle size and moisture content. For relatively small dry particles, labyrinths with small openings and severe deflection configurations have to be provided for separation purposes so that due to their inertia (or due to centrifugal force) the particles are stopped at deflecting baffle walls of the labyrinth or the separator while the cleaned air issues downstream of the filter module.
When dealing with large particle sizes with a high proportion of moisture, a large amount of paint can be separated off in a cleaning module over a short time. Particularly when the cleaning modules are disposed in the floor of the spray booth, that results in a heavy loading on the cleaning module which is made from cardboard. That loading is still further increased by the suction action of a fan for producing the air flow through the cleaning modules. In the case of cleaning modules in accordance with the state of the art, the result of this is that the separation structures present therein collapse under their own weight when loaded with paint and no longer perform their function.